Buchanan Elected VP of Amateur Athletic Union

BREAKING NEWS

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Rusty Buchanan, president and director of Space Coast Sports Promotions, has been elected First Vice President of the Amateur Athletic Union.

Rusty Buchanan, president and director of Space Coast Sports Promotions has been elected First Vice President of The Amateur Athletic Union. “I am honored that fellow members of the union would have me for such an important position as this,” said Buchanan. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)

“I am honored that fellow members of the union would have me for such an important position as this,” said Buchanan.

“The AAU has always held a very special place in my heart, from my first involvement as an athlete until today. I am excited about the opportunity to be involved in the leadership and to help create a vision that will move AAU into the future.”

With the passing of Louis Stout, former First Vice President Henry Forrest moved into the role as AAU President, leaving a vacancy in the first and second vice president positions. Buchanan will serve as First Vice President for the remainder of the term until 2014.

Buchanan brings a plethora of experience to the AAU leadership, having been involved in many facets of the AAU for over 20 years. He first became involved in the AAU in 1975 as an athlete and has later served in many roles, on both sport and legislative committees. Buchanan is the executive director of one of the first ever sports commissions in Florida—Florida’s Space Coast in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Henry Forrest

“Congratulations to Rusty for being elected to the First Vice President position. He’ll be a great addition to the current executive staff,” said AAU President Henry Forrest. “He brings a wealth of knowledge to the officer’s team and I look forward to working with him.”

SPACE COAST SPORTS PIONEER

Since 1990, Space Coast Sports Promotions has actively managed, operated and/or promoted a variety of sporting events throughout the Brevard County area. Some of these events include the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games, Amateur Athletic Union National Championships for Boys, Girls, Mens, Womens Basketball, Baseball and Surfing. Other events include the Special Olympics, Florida Firefighter Games, International Law Enforcement Games, Space Coast Retired Military Golf Classic, and many many more.

Building on professional knowledge gained through experience, Buchanan formed the Buchanan Company, a sports event management company, in 1990. Buchanan was contracted to manage the 1990 and 1991 AAU/USA Junior Olympic Games in St. Petersburg and Tallahassee respectively.

The Buchanan Company, Inc. was actively solicited by the Space Coast Sports Authority in November of 1991 to develop a major sports marketing effort throughout the Space Coast of Florida.

Since 1990, Space Coast Sports Promotions has actively managed, operated and/or promoted a variety of sporting events throughout the Brevard County area.

The Buchanan Company Inc. generated an economic impact in excess of $50 million on the Space Coast, including the XXVIII AAU Junior Olympic Games, the largest national multi-sports amateur athletic competition in America.

As the president of the Buchanan Company Buchanan led the charge to put Brevard County on the sports map worldwide. In 1997 he formed Space Coast Sports Promotions, a non-profit, 501-(C)3 sports management organization, to run the events he as the Buchanan Company was able to secure for the Space Coast. Space Coast Sports has a successful track record in attracting sport activities and has experience in hosting, promoting and managing various events.

Space Coast Sports is responsible for hosting one of the largest amateur athletic events in the history of amateur games, the 1994 Junior Olympic Games (over 10,500 athletes). Space Coast Sports Promotions has also managed such events as the Florida Law Enforcement Games, the Special Olympics and numerous Amateur Athletic Union basketball and baseball championships.

“Through our network of almost 40 contracted hotels, four chambers of commerce, a database of volunteers and a professional management staff our organization expertise is a huge advantage to any sports entity,” siad Buchanan.

ABOUT THE AAUThe Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer, sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.

The AAU was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in amateur sport. During its early years, the AAU served as a leader in international sports representing the U.S. in the international sports federations. The AAU worked closely with the Olympic movement to prepare athletes for the Olympic games. After the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, the AAU has focused its efforts into providing sports programs for all participants of all ages beginning at the grass roots level. The philosophy of “Sports for All, Forever,” is shared by over 500,000 participants and over 50,000 volunteers.

The AAU is divided into 56 distinct Districts. These Districts annually sanction more than 34 sports programs, 250 national championships, and over 30,000 age division events.